Dr. R. Brian Siebeking is a scholar of medieval Islam and comparative religion. He holds a PhD and MA in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia (Go Hoos!), an MA in Arab Studies from Georgetown University, and a BA in Politics from Messiah...
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Ph.D., Religious Studies, University of Virginia
M.A., Religious Studies, University of Virginia
M.A., Arab Studies, Georgetown University
B.A., Politics, Messiah College
Islamic Civilization
Sufism: Islamic Mysticism
Christian-Muslim Relations
Islam and the Environment
Stories of the Quran
Dr. R. Brian Siebeking is a scholar of medieval Islam and comparative religion.
He holds a PhD and MA in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia (Go Hoos!), an MA in Arab Studies from Georgetown University, and a BA in Politics from Messiah College (now Messiah University). His doctoral dissertation, The Creation of an Islamic Literary Genre: Popular Religious Education in Thaʿlabī’s (d. 427/1035) Tales of the Prophets, was a finalist for the Middle East Medievalist’s Dissertation Prize (2018).
Dr. Siebeking currently serves as co-chair of the Hagiology Seminar and the Sacred Texts and Ethics program unit at the American Academy of Religion.
Since joining the Gonzaga faculty in 2016 (Go Zags!), Dr. Siebeking has taught courses on Christian-Muslim Relations, Islam and the Environment, Islamic Civilization, Stories of the Quran, and Sufism: Islamic Mysticism.
He is currently the Faculty Fellow for GU’s Office of Mission Engagement.
Dr. Siebeking enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and spending time with his family. He is a US Army veteran and local soccer fan.
Dr. R. Brian Siebeking is a scholar of medieval Islam and comparative religion.
His research focuses on the role of stories (especially stories of holy figures or “saints”) in the formation of religious beliefs, practices, values, and identities.
His current project is exploring environmental themes in the Islamic “stories of the prophets” literary genre.
His broader interests include religion and the environment, Christian-Muslim relations, and comparative hagiology.
